With so many smart glasses showing up as prototypes and, sometimes, as finished consumer products, we have to ask ourselves: Where is this all going? Some say the future of augmented reality is a set of glasses you wear on your head, speaking and gesturing your commands. Others think it’s just your smartphone, which you hold up to see the world in a new light, Pokemon Go style. Whatever it is, we can see the first steps toward this future around us today.

Some notes: Why it’s so hard to make smart glasses look good. The Intel Vaunt glasses get written up at The Verge. Mashable tries the Bose AR prototype. Recommendations this week: Allbirds Trees, and the NYT Magazine‘s profile of Leopoldo López. Send the hosts feedback on Twitter. Arielle Pardes is @pardesoteric, and Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. Our theme song is by Solar Keys.

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